Objective The idea of harnessing living organisms for treating human diseases is not new but, so far, the majority of the living vectors used in human therapy are viruses which have the disadvantage of the limited number of genes and networks that can contain. Bacteria allow the cloning of complex networks and the possibility of making a large plethora of compounds, naturally or through careful redesign. One of the main limitations for the use of bacteria to treat human diseases is their complexity, the existence of a cell wall that difficult the communication with the target cells, the lack of control over its growth and the immune response that will elicit on its target. Ideally one would like to have a very small bacterium (of a mitochondria size), with no cell wall, which could be grown in Vitro, be genetically manipulated, for which we will have enough data to allow a complete understanding of its behaviour and which could live as a human cell parasite. Such a microorganism could in principle be used as a living vector in which genes of interests, or networks producing organic molecules of medical relevance, could be introduced under in Vitro conditions and then inoculated on extracted human cells or in the organism, and then become a new organelle in the host. Then, it could produce and secrete into the host proteins which will be needed to correct a genetic disease, or drugs needed by the patient. To do that, we need to understand in excruciating detail the Biology of the target bacterium and how to interface with the host cell cycle (Systems biology aspect). Then we need to have engineering tools (network design, protein design, simulations) to modify the target bacterium to behave like an organelle once inside the cell (Synthetic biology aspect). M.pneumoniae could be such a bacterium. It is one of the smallest free-living bacterium known (680 genes), has no cell wall, can be cultivated in Vitro, can be genetically manipulated and can enter inside human cells. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriologynatural sciencesbiological sciencessynthetic biologynatural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologyvirologynatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsmedical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunology Keywords bioengineering design metabolomics proteomcs simulation synthetic biology systems biology transcriptomics Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-AG-LS2 - ERC Advanced Grant - Genetics, Genomics, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Call for proposal ERC-2008-AdG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-AG - ERC Advanced Grant Host institution FUNDACIO CENTRE DE REGULACIO GENOMICA EU contribution € 2 400 000,00 Address CARRER DOCTOR AIGUADER 88 08003 Barcelona Spain See on map Region Este Cataluña Barcelona Activity type Research Organisations Principal investigator Luis Serrano (Prof.) Administrative Contact Stefan Pönisch (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all FUNDACIO CENTRE DE REGULACIO GENOMICA Spain EU contribution € 2 400 000,00 Address CARRER DOCTOR AIGUADER 88 08003 Barcelona See on map Region Este Cataluña Barcelona Activity type Research Organisations Principal investigator Luis Serrano (Prof.) Administrative Contact Stefan Pönisch (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data
